Toy chest



Oct. 15, 1929. P. R. STEVENS 1,731,325

TOY CHEST Filed July 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 1% In uentoz: N & IBM/L1?. STEVE/Y6.

.Wl/arney.

Patented Oct. 15, 1929 PAUL a. s'rnvnns, or PORTLAND, name TOY CHESTApplication filed July 25,

In the conception of this invention I have had in mind the fact that innearly every home the very young members are generally provided with aconsiderable number of toys of various kinds, but unless they arechildren of afiiuent parents seldom have a play room or even facilitieswhere the toys may be I collectedand stored after the play time is.over. 1 As a consequence, the toys are scattered throughout thedifferent roo'ms of thehouse and this causes, oftentimes, more or lessannoyance to the older members of the family group.

My present invention, which relates generally to toys, has as itsprimary object the providing of a convenient receptacle in which a argerportion of the young folks toys or play-thin s maybe kept or depositedafter bein used? In an incredibly short time the c ildren will acquirethe habit of systematically returning the toys to their proper place,and once this habit is formed will tend to influence them in becomingmore orderly and decorous in their relations otherwise.

A further object is to so constructand fabricate the different elementscomprisingthe chest, that by re-arranging the parts, varied applicationsof the same may be made so as to present a change of appearance in thewhole structure, thereby making of the de'- vice itself avsort ofsuper-toy, in association with which other and smaller toys may beemployed to provide wholesome amusement for the child or children.

With this object in view, I have equipped the chest with shelves andpartitions by means of which the child may evolve a com- 1 40bination'representing a miniature house, ar-

ranging the furnish1ngs,.as toy furnlture and bric-a-brac, accordlng tohlS own fancy. With these ovable' parts, are also provided trays ich areuseful for holding small articles or for various other purposes whichthe childs imagination may suggest.

Characteristic structural features of the chest are'ithe'twoepieceto orcover, which ma be utilized asa wlde s elf, orby folding ma e to serveas a narrow, elevated one, and

'tray and shelf, respectively.

1928. Serial No. 295,251.

the turn-down front member which supplies a convenient table upon whichto deposit the toys preliminary to arranging them on the shelves.

While the novelty of the invention resides primarily in the structuralcombination of the parts to provide a receptacle for toys and aconvenient means by which, they may be displayed in various ways, it isfurther possessed of certain advantages which should no not be lostsight of. For instance, in manipulating the parts to roduce thedifferent combinations, the chi ds mind is brought into action inplanning and executin each procedure and this gives an opportunlty forismental development and the broadening \of his powers of observation andconcentration,in which respect the invention is of considerablepsychological value.

I have illustrated my invention by the use 7 of the accompanyingdrawings in which like reference characters are employed to identifylike parts throughout all the different views thereof. I

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy chest, closed;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse sectional elevation, showing thefront side lowered:

' Big. 4 is a perspective view of the toy chest, opened;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section, showing adiflerentdisposition of the cover;

Fig. 6 isa detail connected with the fastening of the transversepartition;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the chest, showing the coverdisposed in a still different position;

. Fig. 8 is a view, transversely of the chest,

especially showing the detachable portion of.

the main partition, and, Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of aReferring to the drawings, 1v represents the end members of the chest,2'the back side and 3 the legs therefor; and on the'ends of mo I thechest are the handles4 with which a) lift the chest when moved fromplace to place; i

The front side 5 of the chest is secured, at its lower edge, tothebottom member 6 by the hinges 7, and to secure the front in closedand locked position I provide any convenient means,--as the slidin bolt8, which, tolock the side, engages the ole 9 on the insideof the endmember 1. a a

To properly support the front 5, when lowered, I provide swinging legs10 which are housed beneath the chest when not in service,.and pivotedthereto by the ins 11. When these swinging legs are exten ed, thesupporting pins 12 bear directly the weight of the front 5 when inlowe'red position,and hold it in a horizontal position, as seen in Fig.3.; Y

A partition 13 divides the chest into two compartments, although it isobvious that three or more might be employed which would supply anynumber. of compartments desired. This partition, as well as the endmembers 1, 1, have horizontal and vertical grooves, 14 and 15,respectively. When operating in the grooves 14, the members 16 serve asshelves, but when re-arranged to fit in the grooves 15 they act aslongitudinal partitions.

The trays 17 may be located on the shelves either lengthwise orcrosswise of the chest; they may also be disposed bottom side. up toprovide a floor intermediate the shelves. they are princi ally used tohold the childs small trinkets ut'by a little ingenuity on the part ofthe child they may be transformed into a cot or bed for a toy doll.

It is sometimes desirable to store articles longer than can be containedin either one of the compartments. For this purpose I make a portion 13'of the partition 13, detachable, so that when this part is removed aspace the inside length of the chest and a width and height similar tothe dimensions of the part 13' is provided. A latch button 18 on eachside of the partition 13 holdsgthc part 13' in place when it isincorporated as a part of the partition, but in this case the outer orfront shelves 16 must be removed.

In the operation of removing the shelves 16, or when there were noshelves in position, the partition might be displaced from theback-board 2. To prevent this I provide construction shown in detail inFig. 6.

A depression 19 is made in the top of the back board 2 and a thin metalbar or plate 20 bridges it. On the back side of the partion 13 issecured an ofi-set piece 21 which engages the plate 20 and holds theupper end' of the partition secure,-the groove 22 in the floor or bottom6 of the chest providing means to hold the partition plumb.

The cover has been designed with a view 01f1 making it one of the novelfeatures in the c est.

It comprises two hinged sections, the outer one considerably wider thanthe inner one,

the two parts, 23 and 23 respectivel bee ing just wide enough inaggregate wi th to coverthe open to of the chest. One edge of t esection 23" on the hinges 24, and preferably made to open to ahorizontalpos1tion only, although the hinges may be so attached .that itcan.

swing downward andlie flat-against the side of the back member 2. Thetwo "sections are held in ali ent when it is desired tomakeone wide self, by the swinging cleat 25 (see Fig. 4), but on releasing the chatthe section 23 may be folded under and its outer edge is hinged tothetop of the'back side member 2, swmginglocated in the bracket 26,.thehinges 27 er.

'mitting the two-sections to be arrange as seen in Fig. 7.

Where space 1n the room is limite'd, this latter arrangement permits of.the chest bethe full width cover when'arranged as seen in Fig. 4.

On this bracketis pivotally secured a vertic'ally swinging arm 29-which, when moved mto upr1ght position, supports the wide section 23whenlthe cover parts are allocated H as shown 1n Fig. 5. A brace 30engages the angle plate 31 and holds the section 23 sinverticalposition. With this disposition of the parts an elevated andconsiderably widershelf than that shown in Fig. 7 is provided.

For conveniently holding pens or pencils and preventing them rolling offthe shelf I provide in the section 23 the wells 32. A. clasp 33 locksthe cover on to the front side 5.

The chests are manufactured of a commo dious size, approximately threefeet long, glving ample space for storage and plenty of room forarranging or displaying the toys While the children are engaged in theiramusements.

It is strongly built, of reasonably low cost and will, it is believed,he found a Very useful and desirable acquisition in any home, moreparticularly as it may, in case of neces-' sity, be utilized by thehousewife to serve,

after the interior parts are removed, as an ordinary chest in which tostore clothingor like articles. A

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and-desire to secure byLetters Pat'- ent is: v

1. A toy chest comprising a bottom member, two end members and one sidemember fixedly secured to said bottom member, a side member hinged atits lower edge tofsaid bot- 5 tom member, and adapted to close," theopen side of said chest, means, normally housed beneath saidbottom'member, adapted, when extended, to support said hinged sidemember in a horizontal position, co-acting means on said hinged sidemember and one of said end members whereb the former may be locked in aposition c osing the open side of said chest, a partition in said chestdisposed transversely and vertically thereof, means to detachably securesaid partition in said chest,

a plurality of shelves, means in said chest whereby said shelves may bedisposed in two generally different positions in said chest,horizontallyand vertically, and a detachable section on said artition adapted to 5provide, when remove an unobstructed space of a length coextensive withthe interior length of said chest and of a width and height similar tothe corresponding dimensions of said detachable section.

2. A toy chest comprising a bottommember, two end members and one sidemember fixedly secured to said bottom member, a hinged side memberadapted to close the open side of said chest, a two-piece cover, includ-2 ing a wide and a narrow portion hingedly connected, said narrowportion also being hinged to the said fixed. side member at its top, aswinging bracket located on said fixed side member and adapted, when inextended position, to support ,both portions of said cover, an armpivotally secured to saidbracket and adapted, when moved to a verticalposition, to support the wider portion only of said cover, and a bracepivotally secured to one'of the end members of said chest engageablewith means on the narrower portion of said cover to hold the latterin afixed vertical position.

3. A toy chest comprising a bottom mem- 40 ber, two end members and oneside member fixedly secured to said bottom member, a side memberhingedly connected at its lower edge to said bottom member and adapted,when vertically disposed, to closethe open side of said chest, bracketspivotally secured to the under side of said bottom member adapted to beextended to provide support for said hinged side member whenhorizontally disposed, a cover for said chest having two parts 53 ofunequal width hinged together, hinges securing the-narrower portion ofthe said two part cover ,to the top of the said fixed side member, abracket on the outer, lower side of the said fixed side member adaptedto re- 55 ceive the outer edge of the wider portion of the said two partcover and transform the narrower portion thereof into a horizontalshelf, flush with the top of said chest, and a swinging bracket havmg anupwardly ex- 7 tending arm adapted to engage said wider portion andconvert it into a horizontal shelf disposed at .a spaced distance,vertically, above the top of said chest.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

PAUL R1" STEVENS;

